Qatar’s FM promises best World Cup ever

US secretary of state John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov spoke at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Doha on Monday.

Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press that also touched on the controversy surrounding Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup and allegations of Doha’s links to Islamic militant groups. “We are sure that all the efforts that have been exerted to make this region very secure, very stable”.

Speaking in Egypt on Sunday, Kerry said the United States had labeled Iran the world’s number-one state sponsor of terror, but this was precisely why it was so important to ensure Tehran did not obtain a nuclear weapon. “This is reassuring to the region”.

The Qatari foreign minister suggested that the nuclear agreement requires deeper engagement with Iran. Except for Oman, a crucial player in negotiations with Iran, each country had previously expressed reservations about the agreement, in particular the possibility Iran could use previously frozen funds to further destabilize nearby Yemen, Iraq and Syria.

The cautious endorsement was a coup for Kerry, who has insisted that the region’s Arab nations have accepted the sanctions relief for nuclear restrictions deal reached July 14 between Iran and six major powers. “Iran is our neighbor in the region”.

Kerry at the news conference described enhanced cooperation in missile defense, combating terrorism and cybersecurity.

The Obama administration has offered regional powers enhanced security cooperation as it seeks to assuage anxieties in the wake of the deal, which Israel and some of its neighbors see as enhancing Iran’s influence and mischief making in the Middle East. He added that it would be “a gain for all our region by putting an end to needless tensions that lasted 12 years”, and said “we must all accept the fact that the era of zero-sum games is over, and we all win or lose together”.

The Russian foreign ministry said Lavrov was visiting Qatar to discuss peace moves in Syria, Yemen and Libya, global consolidation against ISIL, stability in the Gulf, and bilateral relations between Russia and Qatar.

He said that the nuclear deal might or might not have an effect on Iran’s behavior but that the U.S. and its allies must plan for the eventuality that it would not.

In a column published Monday in Lebanon’s Arabic daily As-Safir, Zarif called on Arab countries to work with Tehran for the good of the region.